..plastic smile

i like her plastic smile, few inches wide, tightlipped and pulled up to her cheek bones. she keeps her hair pulled back and formed a bun at the back of her head. a loose strand of her hair, which she keeps loose to keep herself busy, pulling it behind her ears from time to time. she donnes a collared shirt with thin blue and white checks and a small front pocket. she wears a thin golden chain around her neck, without any lockets, slightly pulled back towards her back. she doesn't have an earring, neither does she don a nosering. she serves coffee in the corner shop of 23rd Lane, a 2 minutes walk away from my home or my residence, whatever you prefer to call it.
I saw her standing by the counter, looking at the menu, or rather staring it for more that a couple of minutes. She might be calculating how much 13 cups of coffee and 19 burgers would cost. I know not, neither do I intend to find out. What interested me most was a golden earring that day. A tiny one, with the shape of probably a butterfly, quite difficult to figure out from a distance, you see. She looked exhausted, still looking intently at the menu. But what's the matter with her earrings. Was something special that day? Probably her birthday, the thought crossed my mind several times to ask her about it, but decided against it. I was afraid of she being apprehensive about entertaining such questions or remarks.
I went again to the coffee shop, next day. She was taking orders from a couple sitting in a corner of the shop. I passed by her, just hoping to have a sneak at her earrings. Yes! it was a butterfly. What a lovely earring! And her plastic smile, it looked ever so wonderful while she pulled her hair back to give me better view.